Throwback Thursday: The Greatest Festival Performances Of Tool

Cope with the fact that there is STILL no new album by watching their greatest festival performances.

It’s been over 10 years and it seems there is no end to the wait. But in Maynard, we trust. So hopefully the band is taking all this time to produce one more of their life-changing album. But until then, let’s look back at some of their greatest festival performances and revel in the fact that we are lucky enough to be alive at a time like this.

1. Halloween Night of 2015 Monster Mash Music Festival

The band posted a cryptic message ‘Wait for it’ on Facebook and this OBVIOUSLY led the fans to speculate that the next album was finally on its way but alas, no (haha, suckers!). However, they did grants us with their most iconic performance at the Monster Mash Music Festival on Halloween night dressed as Led Zeppelin. Before the performance started, Maynard said,”Good news, it’s fucking Halloween! Bad news, we are not Led Zeppelin.” With an introduction like that, what do you expect? Revel in this absolutely fantastic version of Opiate.

While introducing the song, Maynard turned to Justin Chancellor and said, “We haven’t played this song in a long time. Does it just start? Yeah? You didn’t come up with any weird intro or anything?”. What a ledge.

2. Reading Festival, 1993

It’s hard to find a Tool festival performance that is not videotaped by a super excited and extremely high fan. It’s almost a joyous occasion. Their set in Reading festival was amazing and we can’t help appreciate this even more in good quality. Also, Danny Carey is a god.

Maynard in a pink onesie and boots will still be more hardcore than you. Deal with it.

3. Lowlands Festival, 2007

Though this is hardly the greatest quality, the sound is more than enough. Maynard was heard to have been suffering from some throat issues during the time, but this performance put all the doubts to rest. One of their sickest setlists, they started with Jambi and ended with Vicarious. Other songs included Forty Six & 2, Stinkfist and Rosetta Stoned. Lateralus was performed with a guest guitarist yet to be identified. The band also performed a song mysteriously just known as Vicarious Jam in the official set list, that’s never been heard before. Maybe it’s something from the new album? Or maybe they are just fucking with us.

4. Download Festival, 2006

This is as good as camera work can get when you’re tripping massive balls. Because this happens to be one of the times when you realize exactly why Maynard is a god on stage. He manages to nail one of the hardest songs to sing live like the boss that he is. From the days when his faux mohawks were still his thing, here is Tool as good as it gets.

5. Mile High Music Festival, 2009

Probably the only thing out of place in this performance was the fact that they were opening for American rock band Widespread Panic. Everything else, was as Tool as it can get. Maynard began the performance by saying,”This evening’s performance is brought to you by the cool, refreshing taste of … boobies! Everyone likes boobies.” The set was just a little longer than an hour and they played songs like Jambi, Vicarious and Forty Six & 2. But the highlight had to be the haunting Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned combination, with the trippy and beautiful lights making it one of their best live performances. The first 8 minutes are all that is available right now and it still is one of the best things we have seen.

6. Tool at Ozzfest, 1998

This was the year when Limp Bizkit and Tool performed on the same stage. What even? These were the days when good old Ozzy Osbourne was losing his edge and so was his festival. Though Ozzfest has recovered now and is going to collaborate with Knotfest for a mega metal festival, times were different in 1998. It was only for a few songs and we cannot find any video evidence of it, so let us hope it did not happen. So to compensate for that fact, listen to the whole set and feel better.

Bonus Video!

A ridiculously awesome video of some of the most hardcore people in music clumsily trying to take a group picture. Maynard’s the sulky looking guy at 1:18. And yes, that is Serj Tankian, Fred Durst, John Dolmayan and Sharon Osbourne all casually posing together.

7. Tool at Lollapalooza, 2009

Fans lined up almost 6 hours prior to the performance to see this one. And they were rewarded with one of the most insane performances ever, Yes, ever. This is one of the decent videos of the performance available online but even this is enough to help you understand the madness that took place. The effects, the sound and of course, Maynard were perfectly on point and this version of Jambi is enough to prove that.